Playing for Keeps
by xthesegoldeneyesx
Summary: What do you get when you combine a roadtrip, an evening alone, a simple game of poker, and two online friends who have been dying to get their hands on each other? A hearty helping of "Playing for Keeps", best served steaming hot. AU/AH.
1. Poker Faces

**Alright, readers. I wrote this story for a really close friend of mine in honor of an occasion that no one but the two of us could ever begin to understand. It began as a simple one-shot, but I've decided to continue it due to popular demand. I really hope you enjoy it.  
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**This is for Dane, who already knows the story better than he thinks.**

**Enjoy!

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_Hot as a fever, rattling bones._

_I can just taste it. Taste it._

_If it's not forever, if it's just tonight,_

_Oh, it's still the greatest. _

_The greatest._

_--Kings of Leon, "Sex on Fire"

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_

"You don't stand a chance, Swan."

I lifted my eyes slowly from the cards I held fanned out in my hand, a teasing smile on my lips as I eyed him skeptically from across the floor. He sat in the same position as I, cross-legged and resting his elbows on his knees, holding his cards so they would obscure his face from my view. All but his eyes, which were focused on me.

"Is that so?" The playful teasing behind my words didn't at all match the fire behind my gaze as I took in his appearance.

The pictures on his profile had in no way prepared me for the sight that met my eyes when I picked him up at his house yesterday afternoon on my way into the city. He was tall, much taller than I had expected, with a fantastic shock of bronze hair and cutting emerald eyes that seemed to see straight into my soul. In a word, he was gorgeous.

I'd been planning this road trip to Chicago for months, basically since the fall semester of my freshman year of college. I found a hotel for my friends and me to stay at, worked on making sure there were adequate funds for gas, food, sightseeing, and anything else that might come up, and of course, made sure that _he_ could come with us.

Edward.

Edward and I met randomly on MySpace a little over a year ago, through a friend of a friend or something like that, and immediately hit it off. As friends, of course. We were both 18 at the time, and he was living in Illinois with his mom while I was in Washington with my dad. Our uncanny similarities made it easy to talk to him, seeing as how we had nearly everything in common: our tastes in music, our overall personalities, and, our favorite, our vulgar senses of humor. I can't even begin to count all the "that's what she said" jokes or sexual references that have transpired through comments and messages, picture comments and bulletins. We would stay up until two or three in the morning, cracking jokes and just discussing life in general. After a few short weeks of talking, I felt like I'd acquired another best friend, and I couldn't have been happier.

Until I started to have feelings for him.

It was nothing at first, just a little crush that I was sure would pass with time, but the more I talked to him, the harder it got to imagine ever _not_ talking to him. I felt stupid for feeling this way about someone I'd never met, but his personality made him nearly impossible to resist.

Summer eventually came to an end. I started college and met a bunch of new and interesting people, and I momentarily forgot about Edward and my feelings for him. I was busy, and I supposed that he was, too, because every time I signed onto MySpace, I had nothing from him. Then one day, I did.

_Hey._

_I fucking miss you._

With those five words, everything I had felt came rushing back to me, the force of it taking my breath away.

After that, I didn't try to deny that I liked him. In fact, I did exactly the opposite. I embraced it. I knew it was ridiculous, and silly, and completely unrealistic, but I couldn't bring myself to care.

Then, one night as we were chatting online, everything was laid out in the open. I told him how I felt, and much to my surprise, he'd felt the same way for months.

I just about shit myself.

Words could not even begin to describe my excitement. I'd wanted this for so long, and I finally had it.

But what now?

Edward was still in Illinois, I was still in Forks, and he was still in a relationship with another girl. Professing feelings wouldn't change that.

In the months that followed, our conversations changed drastically. We still joked and carried on with each other, but the way in which this occurred was different. Way different. We talked constantly about how turned on we were by the other, and the things we would do to each other given the chance. In detail, might I add. There were plenty of nights when I went to bed with a nearly unbearable ache between my thighs, wishing that I lived closer to him so he could satisfy this hunger that was slowly driving me mad. I couldn't believe the primal urges he evoked in me, because I'd never wanted someone this badly before.

I was a virgin, you see.

Edward wasn't. That turned me on even more.

God, how I wanted him. And not just in a sexual sense, either. I wanted to meet him, to talk about random things like our favorite colors and places we wanted to see before we died, movies we loved and songs we couldn't stand. I wanted to _know _him.

So I invited him to join us on our road trip.

I didn't plan this trip just so that I could meet Edward, although it certainly was one of the perks. It's always been my plan to move to Chicago after I graduate college, so I decided that I would take a week-long vacation with my friends to get a feel for the city, see the sights, things like that. It was going to be brilliant.

And now here I was, sitting in a hotel room with Edward not five feet away, looking at me as though he'd like nothing more than to devour me on the spot. I was having a very difficult time convincing myself that this wasn't a dream.

"Yes," he assured me, reaching over and taking a swig of the beer that sat beside him. "That _is_ so."

We were underage, but a friend from back home had been able to score us some booze to smuggle to Chicago. Sure, it was illegal, but I was a safe driver. As long as we didn't get pulled over by a cop, no one would be the wiser. Besides, we were responsible for nineteen-year-olds. Well...eighteen in my case.

I laughed at his confidence, sure that it was nothing more than a bluff.

"Right."

"I mean it, Bella. You're going down." This time, I could tell that the confidence was not without cause. He had a good hand, and he knew it.

"Yeah, going down on _you_," I mumbled, once again burying my attention in my cards. I had an awesome hand too, but I wouldn't let him know that until the last second.

"That's the plan," he said cheerily, and I snapped my head up to shoot a playful glare at him.

God, he was beautiful.

His chest and arms were bare, as were his legs, and I marveled at the way he was lean, yet muscular. Undoubtedly it was because he played tennis. I'd always wanted to see him play, to watch his muscles rippling underneath his skin, see the look of utmost concentration on his face as he focused on the match.

I caught him staring at me, and I bit my bottom lip, suddenly aware of _my_ lack of clothing. I was clad only in my best black push-up bra and a matching pair of lacy Victoria's Secret underwear, the rest of my clothing lying in a haphazard pile a few feet away.

"Like what you see?" I asked innocently, twirling a lock of hair around my finger as he stared on. He smiled smugly at me, one corner of his mouth lifting slightly higher than the other in a crooked grin that did funny things to my girly parts.

"Just remember that when I win this round…" He motioned first to my bra, then to my panties. "…that counts as one article of clothing. To keep things fair, of course."

Strip poker.

We were playing best three rounds out of five, and so far it was two and two. We had discarded our socks before the game even began, not wanting to waste any time. I had him down to just his boxers, and I must admit that the view was spectacular.

"I don't think so, babe. The winner doesn't get his or her prize until later, remember?"

We'd planned the reward/punishment months ago, back in January. It had started out as somewhat of a joke, but had quickly escalated into a profession of lust toward each other. The loser, as "punishment", had to do stuff to the winner. And by "stuff", I mean sexual favors. Given my lack of experience in the sex department, it was vital that I win so he could lead our _activities_ for the rest of the evening. If I were in charge, I would have no fucking clue what I was doing.

My best friends, Alice and Rosalie, had come along on the road trip, but they decided that Edward and I needed a little one-on-one time together. It was no secret to them that I was kind of crazy about him, so they had excused themselves to a night on the town, leaving me alone with him. I wasn't complaining in the least, but I really hadn't thought out anything for us to get into.

Until he pulled a deck of cards out of his suitcase.

I finished my own beer, setting the bottle to the side.

"How could I forget, love?" He faked a hurt expression, and I rolled my eyes. "I saved that message you sent me about what you would do to me for your punishment, you know. That was fucking hot."

I remembered sending that message. I also remembered the responding message from him. It was far more impressive than mine, and I nearly came undone as I read it. That boy surely did have a way with words.

"You ready?" I nodded toward his hand of cards, and he smiled wickedly, nodding his head slowly. "Then lay."

He placed his cards on the floor in front of him, and I emitted a low whistle.

"A full house," he announced proudly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Fuck," I muttered, shaking my head as I studied his cards. "Good hand."

"Damn right." He reached out to gather his cards, satisfied that he was the victor.

"Unfortunately, it just wasn't good enough." With a flourish, I laid my hand down, making sure he got a good look at the cards. "A straight flush."

We were both silent for a beat.

"No way." Slowly, his gaze shifted upward, settling on me. "There's no fucking way." I laughed, pulling all the cards into one pile.

"Actually, there _is_ a way. I just kicked your ass at poker. Now strip for me, bitch!"

"As I recall, you just said a few minutes ago that the winner doesn't get her prize until later."

"Yes, but it technically _is_ later." I clambered to my feet, reaching down to grab the remainder of my clothes before straightening up. "Get dressed. Your punishment starts after I'm finished getting ready."

His phone rang from its place on the table in the corner of the room, and since I was closest, I glanced at the front screen to see who was calling.

_Call from: Tanya_

His girlfriend. Wonderful.

The look on my face must have alerted him as to who was on the phone, and he stood slowly, walking over to stand by me. Unmoving, we both stared down at his ringing cell phone, and I readjusted my clothes in my arms in an attempt to hide my discomfort.

"You can take the call, you know. I won't make you follow through with your punishment." I looked up at him from under my lashes, biting my lip. "We don't have to do this, Edward."

He said nothing, only stared at me with a torn expression on his surreally beautiful face. We stayed that way for an immeasurable period of time, and I eventually noticed that his phone had stopped ringing.

I hated this. I hated that he had to choose between his girlfriend, whom he could actually be with and hold, and me, someone who lived thousands of miles away. It was so unfair to him, and I knew it.

He continued to look at me with that same torn expression, and I closed my eyes to get away from it.

"You don't have to do this," I whispered, keeping my eyes closed so that I wouldn't have to look at him.

"Bella. Hey, look at me," he ordered softly, and I obeyed. "I want this. I've been wanting this for a long time, and I'm not going to back out now so I can regret it later." His mood shifted almost instantaneously, and a sexy crooked smile took over his flawless features. "Go get ready. I have big plans for you tonight."

Upon remembering what his "punishment" had entailed, butterflies erupted in my stomach, and I nodded speechlessly as I turned toward my suitcase. After depositing my clothes from today in a laundry bag I brought along, I grabbed the dress and shoes I had brought for clubbing and made my way into the bathroom to change.

I had taken a shower earlier that day and put a bit of curling cream in my hair, so there was no need to do anything more to it now. It fell around my shoulders in soft mahogany waves, framing my face nicely. I'd also shaved this morning, so the only thing left to do was my makeup. After lining my eyes with my favorite black eyeliner, I reached for my smoky color palette, expertly applying the shades in a way that made my brown eyes stand out more than usual. A bit of mascara, some blush, and a quick application of Chapstick later, I applied my lip stain for color that would stay on for hours. After all, there was no telling what I would be doing with my lips later this evening.

When everything else was done, I slid into my dress and turned to face the mirror, admiring the finished product. My makeup was flawless, my hair looked awesome, and the dress…oh, the dress. It was short, black, and tight, hugging every one of my curves and emphasizing ones I didn't even know I had. Spinning, I examined it from the back, pleased to find that my ass looked great. I slipped into my shoes, a pair of black, patent leather fuck-me heels, and faced the door. With a deep breath, I opened it, stepping out into the main room.

Edward was standing at the window, his back to me as he examined the busy street below. My eyes roamed his body, taking in his appearance as he stood before me. He was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans with a simple white v-neck t-shirt that hung off his back in the most delicious way. I wanted to sink my teeth into him.

I cleared my throat quietly and he spun to face me, and I followed his eyes as his gaze traveled up and down my body, drinking me in. His hungry expression combined with his careful stare made me tremble, and I felt my underwear grow damp as I stood there quietly.

The silence in the room was palpable, and after a few excruciatingly long seconds, he was the one to break it.

"Holy shit…" I smiled shyly at his rather unorthodox reaction, looking down at my feet.

"My sentiments exactly."

I heard him take a step, and when I looked up, he was a few feet closer, smiling beautifully back at me.

"Do we have to go out? I think I'd rather keep you locked in this room all night." The fire in his eyes danced, and I realized with a bit of embarrassment that my breathing had become slightly ragged.

"You can do whatever you want with me," I replied, biting my lip as I laughed nervously. "I believe that's stated in the rules. If you want to stay in…then we can."

He seemed to deliberate for a moment, weighing the pros and cons of each option before reaching out to take my hand, tugging me gently toward the door.

This was the first intentional physical contact we'd had, and I had to suppress a gasp as a tangible electric shock raced from my fingertips to every other nerve ending in my body. I glanced up at him curiously, raising an eyebrow in question as I squeezed his hand gently, lacing my fingers with his. He must have felt the same sort of electric current, because that crooked smile lifted one side of his mouth and he shrugged his shoulders lightly.

"So we're going out?" I ventured, although I already knew the answer. "What made you decide?" He released my hand momentarily, but only so he could grab his wallet off of the table and stick it in his back pocket. He reached for his cell phone next, and I couldn't believe my eyes when he held down the "end call" button, turning the phone off completely. I guess he didn't want any distractions tonight. The thought gave me goose bumps.

"What made me decide…" he began as he grabbed my hand and pulled me out the door, leading me down the hallway and into the elevator. "…was the idea of you looking so utterly fuckable for my eyes only. I want to take you out to a club so that every guy there can fantasize about being with you, and I can take pride in knowing that you're _all mine_." I shivered at his words, and it didn't escape his notice. "You like that, do you?" His voice was teasing now, and even without looking at him, I could hear the smirk that he wore on his lips. "You like the idea of belonging to me?"

I kept silent, knowing that if I spoke, my voice would give away just how much I _did_ like the idea.

"Do you?" he probed further, using his free hand to lift my chin so that I had no choice but to meet his eyes.

"Yes," I admitted, the word coming out shakier than I would have liked. I loved the power that he had over me, but I hated that he knew about it. Upon hearing the vulnerability in my tone, his domineering smirk turned into a gentle smile, and his thumb brushed softly against my cheek. Another round of the electricity raced through my veins.

"Good. Because I'm going to make you mine in more ways than one tonight."

I couldn't speak as we made our way through the lobby and out to the street, not even when Edward hailed us a cab and told the driver to take us to 901 West Weed Street. We sat in the back seat in silence, although in the 20 minute ride, he only let go of my hand to put his hand on my knee.

I was really getting fed up with these fucking butterflies.

The cab pulled up outside a very trendy-looking night club, the letters above the door indicating that it was called _Circus_. There were several people standing around outside, puffing on cigarettes or having heated conversations on their cell phones.

The line, thankfully, wasn't very long, and we made it inside in virtually no time at all. It was hot inside, no doubt from the hundreds of people that were crowded on the dance floor, bumping and grinding to some song I'd never heard before. From what I could tell, the walls were painted in countless vibrant colors, but the flashing lights made it difficult to see. Edward reclaimed my hand and pulled me along toward the dance floor, leading me around and in between couples who were far too preoccupied with each other to notice us.

He stopped moving suddenly, having found a spot that pleased him, and released my hand before turning to face me, his eyes once again following a path from my face to my chest to my legs, then back up again. His gaze flickered to something behind me, but I paid no mind to it as he reached out to me, placing his hands on my hips. My heart took off, beating at a frantic pace as he spun me around so that my back was to him, then pulling me flush against his body. I couldn't breathe as he began to move his hips, grinding against my ass in time with the song while his hands led me ever so slightly, giving me direction.

"Come on, love. Give me something to work with." His breath was hot on the side of my face, and I realized then that I was basically unresponsive, doing nothing as he moved behind me. I swiveled my hips in time with his, and apparently this pleased him, because his grip on me tightened.

"That's it, baby. Just like that."

I knew we were only talking about dancing, but his words were making me hot as hell. Not to mention the fact that we were on a crowded dance floor, grinding so close together that you couldn't fit a sheet of paper between us. The song changed then, and the tempo was much faster than the previous one. I gyrated more vigorously against him, and his head dropped down so his lips were beside my ear.

"You're pretty damn good at this." I laughed breathlessly, continuing my movements.

"You're not so bad yourself."

"I told you I was a good grinder, didn't I?" I rolled my eyes dramatically, my right arm snaking up behind me, coming to rest on the back of Edward's head. Taking a fistful of his hair, I ground harder against him, eliciting a hiss from his lips.

"You did. And you weren't lying."

My breathing had turned to panting by now, and we continued our dance, moving with and against each other, igniting fires within one another's bodies. I could feel his very prominent arousal each time he moved his hips a certain way, and the knowledge that I could do this to him was empowering, driving me to move faster as the music drowned out the sound of my blood pounding in my veins.

"I kind of want to beat the shit out of that guy over there." Edward's voice in my ear a short while later startled me, and I flinched in surprise, my hand tightening in his hair. "Um, ouch." He chuckled then, his hands flexing against my hips. "Maybe you could save the hair pulling for later?"

"Sorry," I muttered, releasing my grip on his hair and placing my hands over his on my hips. "Now what were you saying about some guy?"

"Oh, right. That guy over there. The one wearing the green shirt, dancing with that slutty-looking girl in the white dress." It didn't take me long to pinpoint the exact man he was talking about. Or rather, the girl he was dancing with. Her makeup was done up so that she looked like a porn star, and her dress could barely be called a dress at all. It was a white sheath of fabric with holes cut out all over it, leaving more skin revealed than covered. The man himself wasn't bad looking, but he was no Edward. He was probably in his mid-twenties, clean-shaven and with brown hair cropped close to his head. I couldn't make out anything else under the flashing lights…other than the fact that he was looking straight at me.

"Yeah, I see him. What's the big deal?"

"He's been watching you since we started dancing. I don't like it."

I couldn't help the laugh that escaped my lips.

"What?" He demanded, seemingly irritated that I wasn't creeped out by this dance floor voyeur.

"Darling, I thought the whole point of this little outing was so you could flaunt me around in front of other guys."

"Well, it was at first…but that idea worked a lot better in theory than in practice." I looked back at him, my eyebrows raised in suspicion. "What? That wasn't the only reason I wanted to bring you here."

"Oh yeah? What was the other reason?" His eyes darkened noticeably, and my legs seemed to turn to Jell-O as he smirked at me.

"I wanted an excuse to do this in public." He thrust his hips forward against my ass, and I felt his now extremely obvious erection press into me. My panties were getting extremely uncomfortable by this point, and a sigh of longing escaped my lips as my head fell backwards to rest on his shoulder. I felt his satisfied chuckle rather than heard it.

"That creep is still looking over here. What do you say we give him something a little more to look at?"

Before I could ask what he meant, he surprised me by touching his lips to the bare skin of my shoulder. Lifting my head slightly, I cast a sideways glance at him, biting my lip to hold back the sound of approval that was bubbling up in my throat. He met my gaze without ever removing his mouth from my skin, and the look in his eyes was enough to make my stomach twist into a knot of nervous anticipation.

We still hadn't ceased our gyrations, and the feel of his lips continuing up my shoulder to my neck only seemed to amplify the sensations caused by our dancing. When he reached the side of my throat, he nipped at my skin with his teeth before sucking it gently into his mouth. This time, I couldn't help the moan that escaped me, and it only seemed to spur him on. He pulled away briefly, but when he touched me again, it wasn't his lips that made contact with my skin. His tongue trailed lightly up the side of my neck, and I shivered violently as he reached my earlobe, biting down gently on the sensitive flesh.

"You're killing me, Edward," I managed to gasp, leaning my head to the side to give him better access to the expanse of my throat. He laughed seductively, licking the outer rim of my ear.

"Yeah, well your reactions are killing _me_. Do I get to take you home yet?"

"Whenever you want."

He paused for a moment, thinking it through before shaking his head.

"No, not yet. I'm not quite finished provoking our friend over there."

The man in green must have known that we were discussing him, because when I looked over at him once more, he wore a scowl on his face and had stopped moving, letting his scantily-clad date molest him as he stood motionless.

"Let's see…" Edward continued, speaking against my skin. "Whatever shall I do to you next?" His hands moved down from their place on my hips, skimming down my thighs before slowly making their way back up my body. They moved past my hips, my waist, his fingertips just barely grazing the side of my breasts, and then finally came to rest on my shoulders. Then, faster than I could comprehend, he spun me so that we were face to face…or face to chest, rather. He was several inches taller than I was, which left his upper torso at my eye level. Not that I minded at all. My sudden spin combined with my high heels left me feeling off-balance, and I placed my hands on his waist to steady myself, anchoring my body to his. We had stopped moving, and Edward raised his eyebrows as I looked up into his surreally perfect face.

"Shall we dance?" he asked, a wicked glint in his eyes.

We began moving together once more, slowly at first, but increasing our tempo as the song played on. His hips were flush against mine, and the sensations that shot through me with each one of his movements made it hard to think, much less concentrate on controlling my own body.

So I didn't concentrate. Instead, I closed my eyes and let the music dictate each motion I made. I could feel nothing other than Edward's hands moving down my body and the bass thundering in my chest like a second heartbeat, driving me to grind harder against him. I did feel, however, when he slipped one of his legs between both of mine and planted his broad hand on the small of my back, pulling me closer. Opening my eyes so that I could look into his, I flashed a coy smile and rolled my hips up into his, grinding down on his thigh in the process. The friction made me gasp, and I rested my forehead against his chest as I repeated the same move again and again, trying to alleviate some of the ache that had been forming between my legs since we started dancing.

"You are easily the sexiest thing I've ever seen." His voice was slightly husky, rough with what I assumed was desire, and I looked up at him to see that he was staring at me intently, his eyes dark and full of lust.

"What can I say? You bring out the best in me."

He laughed softly, lowering his face slowly toward mine. The butterflies fluttered wildly in my stomach as I held my breath, positive that he was finally going to kiss me. I could feel his breath fan across my face, warm and sweet and _Edward_, and my eyes drifted shut as I waited for his touch.

It never came.

Instead, he rested his forehead against mine, and I opened my eyes, watching him while he watched me. We moved together effortlessly, one of his hands resting on my ass while the other gripped my hip tightly, leading me in my movements. My right hand was in his hair once again, and I had a handful of his shirt in my left. His face was almost unbearably close to mine, and the urge to close the distance between us and press my lips to his was overwhelming.

After another long moment of this, I had to say something.

"Edward…" My voice sounded weak in my own ears, desperate with longing. Edward's eyes grew impeccably darker as he heard me, his breath coming more quickly against my skin as he brought his face closer.

_Kiss me, kiss me, kiss me._

His lips brushed over mine once, twice, and again, barely touching me as he whispered my name.

I couldn't take it anymore. I threw my arms around his neck, pulling his face the rest of the way down so that I could crush my mouth to his, and he responded with enthusiasm, his arms wrapping so tightly around my waist that I was nearly lifted right of the ground. I moaned my approval into his mouth as his lips caressed mine gently but passionately, his taste unlike anything I'd ever encountered. We kissed long and hard, and although my lungs were burning from the lack of oxygen, I held him tighter, determined to stay connected to him this way as long as I could. Much to my dismay, he broke away from me, but his lips never left contact with my skin as they skimmed along my jaw from my chin to my ear.

"I'm going to take you back to the hotel now." My heart thumped unevenly in my chest, and I suddenly became hyperaware of how soaked my underwear were.

"Please."

He disentangled my body from his and took my hand, leading me out of the mob of people currently inhabiting the dance floor. The dirty look we received as we made our way past the man in the green didn't escape my notice, and it only seemed to brighten Edward's mood. He flashed the man a shit-eating grin and a wink as he released my hand and wrapped his arm protectively around my waist.

"Did you see his face?" I laughed as I stood outside the club, enveloped in Edward's strong embrace. "It must have really set him off when you kissed me in there."

He smiled warmly down at me, and I was so completely awed by the beauty of his grin that I was surprised to find that he was slowly closing the distance between us. Dipping his head toward mine, he caught my lips in the softest of kisses, his mouth lingering for only a second before he pulled away and touched his lips to my nose.

"That kiss wasn't for his benefit, my dear." His voice was low and seductive, and I swear I grew wetter from the mere sound of it. "That kiss was for _me_."

He hailed us a cab then, ushering me into the back seat before sliding in beside me, enfolding me in his arms once more as he informed the cabbie of our destination. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he placed his fingertips under my chin and gently tilted my head so that it was at a better angle for him to kiss me from. And kiss me he did. He took my bottom lip between both of his, surprising me when he nipped at it with his teeth, then parting his own lips so that he could slide his tongue along my skin. I knotted my fingers in his hair, tugging lightly on the bronze strands as I opened my mouth in compliance, touching the tip of my tongue to his. A groan ripped from his throat, and I shivered at the sound, throwing one of my legs over his lap in a desperate attempt to get as close to him as I could. Yes, I was perfectly aware that we were in the back of a cab, driving through the streets of Chicago, and this wasn't exactly proper behavior for the given situation. But with Edward's mouth on mine and his hands holding onto my hips, I was having a very difficult time caring. At least the cabbie was turning the other cheek. He didn't make a peep the entire ride to the hotel, so I assumed that he was simply pretending not to notice us, a pretty challenging task considering the noises we were making.

When the car finally stopped in front of our hotel, Edward paid our fare, as well as adding a hefty tip for the driver's ignorance of our activities. Slamming the door shut, he grabbed my hand, practically dragging me through the lobby and into the elevator, where he wrapped his arms tightly around my body before pressing his mouth to mine feverishly, his hands seemingly everywhere at once. My face, my hair, the small of my back, my ass…and I stood as close to him as possible, our bodies touching from head to toe.

Someone cleared their throat, and I wrenched myself away from Edward's lips, looking around in confusion to see who produced the sound. An elderly couple was crushed into the back right corner of the elevator, their eyes wide with shock as they stood as far from us as humanly possible.

I blushed furiously, immediately stepping out of Edward's embrace, the only remaining contact being our hands clasped tightly between us.

"Sorry about that," Edward called to the couple, flashing a dazzling smile in their direction. The man scowled, but the woman flushed a delicate shade of pink and averted her eyes to the ground, no doubt affected by Edward's charm.

If she only knew how I felt.

After a few seconds, Edward leaned over, placing his lips against the outer shell of my ear.

"When we get back to the room, I'm going to fuck you until your throat is raw from screaming my name. Do you understand me?" His voice was soft seduction, and a barely-audible whimper escaped through my lips at the sound. "Good."

The elevator stopped on the second floor, and the elderly couple rushed out, their eyes on the ground. As soon as the doors shut behind them, Edward gripped my waist tightly, pushing me back against the elevator wall as he captured my lips once more, not bothering to hesitate before thrusting his tongue into my mouth. I accepted him greedily, my own hands moving to take fistfuls of his shirt while he kissed me hungrily.

The ding of the elevator sounded through the air, and before I could even take a breath, Edward had pulled me out of the elevator and we were halfway down the hall to our room. As the door came into view, my heart stopped before picking up again in double-time, pounding so hard in my chest that I was sure even Edward could hear it. He swiftly pulled the key card for the room out of his pocket and swiped it through the scanner, and I watched the green light flash as the door unlocked and was flung open. He ushered me inside before following me through the door and shutting it behind us, sealing us into the room. As he turned to me then, I saw that his eyes were emerald fire, burning holes through the dress that was starting to feel far too heavy on my skin. Pushing away whatever uncertainty that was left in me, I walked to the door, sliding the chain lock into place before flashing a seductive smile at Edward.

"Just in case Alice and Rose decide to come back before we're decent."

Before I could even register what was happening, Edward's hands were on my shoulders, and he spun me around, pressing my back forcefully against the wall by the door. All the air whooshed out of my lungs as I made contact with the wall, and before I could fully catch my breath, Edward was kissing me. My lips, my cheeks, my eyelids, my jaw… He moved slowly down my neck to right above my left collarbone, sucking harshly on the tender flesh before biting down on it, drawing a sharp cry of pain and pleasure from my lips.

"Shhh," he murmured against my skin, his tongue darting out to trail along my collarbone. "If you keep carrying on like that, the neighbors are going to complain about the noise. We wouldn't want to get thrown out, now would we?" With that, he reattached his mouth to the same spot, the gentle suction and occasional nip of his teeth driving me crazy.

When he finally pulled away, he glanced down at my throat, a breathtaking triumphant smile making its way onto his flawless face. I guessed what he was looking at, and I rolled my eyes as a chuckle left my lips.

"You gave me a hickey, didn't you?" His smile brightened, and he leaned down to press a tender kiss to the spot on my neck.

"Mhm. It looks good on you." He kissed his way back up my throat to the corner of my mouth, his lips soft as a whisper against my face. "I might have to think about leaving a few more in other various pl--." He didn't get a chance to finish, because right then I leaned forward and caught his mouth in a rough, demanding kiss, determined to prove to him that I wasn't about to let him have complete control of this evening's activities. He groaned into my mouth, fisting my hair in his hands and pulling my face closer to his in an almost savage manner. My heart pounded out a jagged rhythm as I kissed him with everything I had, pushing my tongue into his mouth to swirl it around his, savoring the taste of him.

I vaguely registered the feel of his hands moving out of my hair and trailing down to my upper back, his fingers fumbling with something there. Cool air washed over my skin, and I realized with a start that he had unzipped my dress, peeling the dark material off of my body and letting it fall to the ground. Although I'd been almost naked in front of him only hours ago, I couldn't stop the blush from flooding my cheeks as he pulled away from my lips and stepped away, his eyes roaming up and down my body, seemingly scrutinizing every minute detail. And as unsettling as his gaze was, it made me impossibly wet.

His fingertips brushed along my skin, leaving a trail of fire and goose bumps in their wake while I stood motionless against the wall, watching him watch me as his hands ghosted up my arms and slid my bra straps off my shoulders. I was breathing so hard that in the back of my mind, I was concerned about hyperventilation, but the look in Edward's eyes made me forget about everything except the way his hands felt on my body.

Then, in one swift move, his hand reached behind me, quickly unfastening the clasp on my bra and pulling the offensive garment off. Once my arms were free, he dropped it to the ground before reaching for me, his fingers tentatively stroking my newly exposed flesh. When one of his fingertips grazed my nipple, I shuddered and bit my lip, becoming increasingly aware of the throbbing ache between my thighs and the fact that I was now wearing only my underwear and my black pumps. If I had thought that Edward's eyes had contained evidence of his hunger for me before, it was nothing compared to the way they looked right now. In the light that came through the window from the streetlamps below, I could see that his irises had darkened to the point of almost being black, and, call me crazy, but I swore that I saw sparks of electricity in his eyes as he devoured me with one look.

"Jesus Christ. Do you have any idea how fucking gorgeous you are?"

I couldn't find the words to answer him.

"God, just looking at you makes me hard."

Tell me about it. As he moved closer to me, trapping me between his body and the wall, I could feel his hardened length pressing against my lower stomach. The prospect of being the cause of his arousal excited me beyond belief, and I pressed my legs together, desperate for any sort of friction to quench the ache there.

All too soon, he backed away. I opened my mouth to protest, but quickly snapped it shut when he kicked his shoes off and grabbed the bottom hem of his shirt, pulling it up over his head and tossing it to the floor.

_Hello again, Edward's abs. How I've missed you._

I couldn't suppress a groan as I took in his beautiful body, knowing that it would be pinning me down on the bed shortly. Edward flashed me that goddamned crooked grin as his hands moved down to pop the button on his jeans before slowly pulling the zipper downward and pushing his pants down his legs. He stepped out of them, removing his socks in the process, and straightened up, locking eyes with me.

We stood there for a long moment, both of our chests heaving with the force of the ragged breaths escaping our lips as we stared each other down, each of us daring the other to make the first move.

It surprised me when he was the one to cave.

"I want you."

"Then take me."

Needing no further prompting, he grabbed me by my hips and lifted me up so that my face was on his level, and I took this opportunity to wrap my legs around his waist, letting him carry me over to the bed that we had claimed as ours. I released my hold on him and scooted to the center of the queen-sized bed, a pout forming on my lips when I realized that he was walking over to his suitcase in the corner rather than joining me.

"Where are you going?"

He bent over the suitcase, and I got a fabulous view of his delicious-looking ass. Too bad he turned around right then and caught me staring.

"Calm down, dear. I'm just getting some prophylactics. You know… protection." I rolled my eyes at the way he undermined my intelligence.

"I know what a prophylactic is, Edward." He just laughed at me as he continued to rummage in his bag.

"Of course you do. I forgot that you were a nerd."

"Hey! I'm not a—" Just then, he found what he was looking for, and I watched as he pulled a box of condoms out of his suitcase. A whole fucking box.

_Holy shit._

"I see that someone was hoping to get lucky."

He ripped a small strip off and threw the box back into his bag, zipping it up before making his way back over to me.

"Bella, we've had over a year of foreplay. You're damn right I was hoping." He placed the condoms on the bedside table before crawling onto the bed and positioning his hands on either side of my head, hovering over me. I propped myself up on my elbows and kissed him passionately, tracing his bottom lip with my tongue before collapsing back onto the pillows with a sigh. When I looked up at him again, I noticed that he wore a thoughtful expression on his face.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked, tracing his jaw with my index finger. He smiled at me then, his mischievous smirk causing me to swallow hard.

"I was thinking that, since we've waited for over a year…a few more minutes of foreplay couldn't possibly hurt."

"I wholeheartedly agree."

With that same devilish grin still on his lips, he lowered his head and pressed his lips to the side of my throat, scooting down on the bed to give himself better access to the rest of my body. Lifting my head slightly off the pillow, I watched as he trailed his lips across my collarbone, moving down to the valley between my breasts without ever taking his eyes off of me. I let my head fall back onto the bed and closed my eyes as I let the sensations that Edward's lips were creating consume me like a fire.

Suddenly I felt his tongue flick over my nipple, and I gasped in shock and pleasure as he sucked it into his mouth, my back arching up off the bed in an attempt to push myself closer to him.

"Son of a bitch, Edward. Oh, God."

I felt him chuckle against me, and I lifted my head, watching as he pulled away and blew cool air across my skin, his eyes locked with mine. He knew exactly what he was doing to me, and he was eating that shit up. Giving me one last lick, he moved to the other side, repeating his ministrations from only moments before while I moaned my approval and fisted the duvet cover in my hands. When he felt that he had done an adequate job of worshiping my breasts with his mouth, his hands ventured down my torso, his lips not far behind. He kissed his way down my stomach, his tongue trailing lazily across my skin and dipping into my belly button before he continued further down my stomach, stopping right above the waistband of my panties and glancing up at me with a hungry look in his eyes.

"Fuck, Bella. I can _smell_ you."

"Edward…" My voice was weak and pleading, and in that one word I begged him to touch me, to take me, to make me his. He inhaled deeply through his nose, his eyes never leaving mine.

"You smell amazing. I want to taste you."

"Please."

It seemed like I barely had time to blink and he was off of me, kneeling at the foot of the bed as he gently grabbed my left leg by the calf, lifting it carefully off of the bed and bending my knee. He pressed a soft kiss to the inside of my ankle while he slowly slid my shoe off of my foot, throwing it to the floor where it landed with a muted thud. After repeating the same actions on my other ankle, he placed his hands on my hips, hooking his fingers under the sides of my panties and giving a slight tug upward, letting me know what he wanted me to do. I obediently lifted my hips so that he could slide my panties down over the curve of my ass, and I watched in silent fascination as he slid them the rest of the way down my legs and tossed them to the floor with a flick of his wrist. He swallowed hard as he looked at me, and I became painfully aware of the fact that I was completely naked, sprawled on the bed under his intense stare. It frightened and excited me at the same time, and my entire body trembled lightly as he put his hands on my knees and pushed them apart, spreading my legs and leaning down to press a kiss to the top of my mound. I whimpered.

"May I?" I was fairly positive that he already knew what my reply would be, but I loved that he had been gentlemanly enough to ask for permission anyway. I nodded my head vigorously, conveying with actions what I was unable to form words for.

"No no, love. I'm going to need to hear you say it. Out loud." His tongue traced patterns where his lips had been just seconds before, and the sensation made me gasp for air. "Now I'm going to ask you again. May I, Bella?"

"Yes," I gasped, my hands gripping the duvet so tightly that I was positive that my knuckles were turning white. "Edward, _please_."

"Good girl." The words were barely out of his mouth when I felt him take one long lick up the slit of my center, his tongue warm and wet and _oh God_, and as he used his fingers to part my lips and take another lick, I felt hot and cold all over. Shivers wracked my frame, and my head thrashed from side to side as he found my clit and flicked his tongue over it again and again and again and again, and I couldn't think and I couldn't breathe and I couldn't do anything but lay there in complete and utter bliss as he worked his magic between my thighs.

The muscles in my lower abdomen clenched, and I couldn't believe that those few careful ministrations with his tongue had already brought me so close to the edge that I felt about ready to fall over at any second.

"Holy shit, you taste divine." If his words weren't enough to drive me crazy, what he did next surely was. Slowly, cautiously, he pushed one finger into my entrance, a low hiss leaving his lips. "So tight…and wet. Fuck, you are absolutely _dripping_ for me." He curled his finger forward, and I cried out into the dark room as I involuntarily clenched around him.

"Unh…oh, fuck…so good."

He pulled his finger almost completely out of me before pushing back in once more, almost unbearably slowly, and I wanted to yell and scream and tell him to give me more, faster, harder…but as if he could read my mind, he began pumping his finger in and out of me in a perfect, heavenly, mind-blowing rhythm, his tongue making small circles around my clit the entire time. The pleasure was so intense that I thought I would burst into tears on the spot from the sheer power of his touch, but I held it all together, my muscles clenching the entire time.

"Edward…I…_shit_…so close…"

His fingers picked up their pace, moving in and out at a brilliant speed that left my head reeling and my breath coming in short gasps as he sucked my clit into his mouth, his tongue circling it the entire time. I shut my eyes against the onslaught of sensation, willing myself to hold out just a bit longer.

"Look at me, Bella." The vibration of his voice against my center was almost too much, and I felt my walls clench around his finger once more, alerting him to my pending orgasm. I opened my eyes, and seeing him there between my legs was nearly enough to make me come right then, but I gritted my teeth and met his eyes. "I want you to come for me. On my hand, in my mouth…can you do that?" I nodded my head, and he raised his eyebrow as he pushed his finger harder into me. I moaned. Loudly. "What did I say before, my dear? You have to say it. Can you come for me, Bella?"

"Fuck! Yes. Yes, I can come."

"Good."

With that, he thrust another finger into my core and bit down lightly on my clit, and I came apart in a fit of clenching muscles and animalistic groans and lights flashing brightly behind my eyelids as his fingers kept moving inside me and his tongue on my heated flesh helped me ride out what was, without a doubt, the most intense orgasm of my life. Not to mention my first orgasm that wasn't self-induced. I barely recognized the sounds that came from my lips as I came down from my high, and as the last waves of my release subsided, I lay sated on the pillows, my hands still holding onto the covers for dear life.

I was nowhere near fully recovered when Edward jumped off the bed and tore his boxers down his legs in one swift movement, but the sight of him in all of his fully-naked glory left me ready and yearning for him all over again. His dick was long and thick, and I swallowed rather loudly as I studied him carefully, wondering how in God's name he was going to fit inside me. I watched in awe as he ripped open a condom packet with his teeth and rolled the condom onto his length before joining me on the bed once again, his hands finding purchase on the pillows on either side of my head. He smiled warmly down at me before he leaned down to hover above me on his elbows, pressing a searing kiss to my mouth. I groaned as I tasted myself on his lips, my fingers knotting in his hair and pulling him as close as I could without sinking into his skin, and he kissed me back as his hips shifted against mine, aligning himself with my entrance.

I whimpered into his mouth, and he pulled away, looking deeply into my eyes.

"You're still a virgin." It wasn't a question. He knew almost everything there was to know about me, so he was able to state this fact with confidence. I didn't respond. Instead, I bit my lip and looked away from him, knowing that the blush staining my cheeks was a dead giveaway to my embarrassment. The feel of his fingertips on my cheek surprised me, and I reluctantly met his eyes.

"Bella, there is _nothing_ wrong with that, do you hear me? I just want to make sure that you really, truly want this. There's no going back afterwards, and although I know I'm not going to regret a single moment with you, I want to make sure that _you_ don't regret this later." He kissed me again, and I closed my eyes tightly as a wave of emotion rolled through me, leaving me on the verge of tears.

No. I would _not_ be one of those girls that cries before, during, or after her first time. So I held it in, opening my eyes as he pulled away from my lips.

"Bella? Are you sure that you want this?"

I cleared my throat before speaking, just to be on the safe side.

"I'm positive. I've never wanted anything more in my life."

It was true. I wanted Edward more than I wanted air. More than food, or shelter, or water, or life itself. In fact, it went way beyond want. I fucking needed him. Now.

His response was a gentle smile that made those stupid butterflies erupt in my stomach, and I suddenly became _very_ aware of the fact that the tip of his length was currently pressed against my center. Dropping his head to rest on my shoulder, he kissed the side of my neck before whispering roughly in my ear.

"Please…_please_ stop me if I hurt you."

I nodded my head, clenching my eyes shut and holding my breath as I felt him shift his hips forward, pressing his tip carefully into my entrance, stopping to give me time to adjust to his size. I gritted my teeth against the pain as he pushed a little farther into me, willing myself to be strong and endure this discomfort in order to reap the benefits that would surely follow. He was nearly half way inside when I felt him hit some sort of barrier and stop short, looking down at me with an apologetic expression before swiftly sliding himself the rest of the way into me. For a split second, it felt as though my body was being ripped in half, and the sudden flare of pain caught me off guard. There was stretching and pulling and pressure, and a dull ache that made me feel like my insides were bruised, and I couldn't stop from crying out in pain before I caught my lip between my teeth to silence myself.

"Bella?! Oh, God, I've hurt you. I'm so sorry, Bella. I thought that—that if I just went quickly, it wouldn't hurt you as much…Shit, I'm such an idiot. We don't have to do this—" He began pulling out of me, and although the sensation made me want to cringe, I grabbed his shoulders, holding him still.

"No. Stay."

"But—but I'm hurting you."

"It's my first time, idiot." I couldn't help the laugh that escaped me, and he groaned as my body shook underneath him, doing funny things to where we were connected. "It's supposed to hurt."

"I don't want to hurt you." His words said one thing, but the fire in his eyes told me that he'd love nothing more than to keep going.

"Just give me a minute to adjust. In case you hadn't noticed, you're kind of huge." It was his turn to laugh now, and as he caught his breath, he leaned down and captured my lips in the sweetest kiss we'd shared that evening.

"Way to boost my ego, woman." I smiled against his lips.

"I imagine it's the size of a small country now."

We stayed that way for a few moments, his cock firmly embedded inside me while lips teased mine gently, sweetly, tenderly. When I felt the pain begin to subside, I swiveled my hips under him, getting used to the feeling of him buried in my warmth. There was still pressure and a little bit of pain, but as I moved my hips against his, I was rewarded with a surprising zing of pleasure that left me trembling. Edward responded to my movements with a shaky exhale, and I gave him one more peck on the lips before relaxing onto the bed.

All I had to do was give him a pointed look, and he knew that I was ready. He pulled out most of the way before pushing himself back in, and although it still hurt a bit, I was able to feel the pleasure in his movements as tiny shockwaves rocketed through my body.

"Holy fuck, Bella. You're so fucking tight, it's insane."

He continued his slow thrusts again and again, setting a steady rhythm between us as my hands ventured down his back, feeling his muscles bunching and releasing as he pushed and pulled himself over me time and time again. The pain was all but gone, and each time his hips collided with mine, I drowned in a new wave of ecstasy. Unable to keep my head above the surface any longer _baby, I can't breathe_ I surrendered to the sensations and was surprised when a high-pitched moan ripped from my lips, echoing around the room as Edward quickened his pace, my noises driving him to move faster.

"Oh, _Edward_."

He grunted as he sheathed himself inside me yet again, sweat forming on his brow as he moved sinuously above me.

"Fuck, Bella. Say my name again." He grabbed my leg, throwing it over his shoulder as he continued his blissful assault on my body _abuse me, please_, pounding into me slightly harder than before.

"Edward! Shit…you feel so fucking _good_."

"Damn it, baby. I'm not going to last long. You're just…oh, _fuck_."

Feeling empowered by the idea that Edward was enjoying this as much as I was, I began lifting my hips each time he pushed into me, allowing him to reach new depths with every single thrust. He rocked into me, and I lifted up, sliding along his length as he moved up and down and everywhere and I couldn't imagine that anything could feel this perfect and amazing and _fuck me, he's brilliant_ incredible. I was close to thrashing underneath him as he pounded me hard and deep, the perfection of each one of his movements consuming me like a fire raging through my veins as I wrapped my other leg around his hips to pull him closer _I want you under my skin_ and we moved together perfectly in a dance of lust and passion _your heartbeat is like fucking music_ as our bodies slid and bumped and ground against each other.

"Bella." His voice was sandpaper in my ear, and I moaned in response, twisting my hips up into him as he reached down to put his thumb on my clit _oh fuck yes please_, circling it slowly. "I'm close. Come with me, beautiful."

He rubbed me frantically now, and I was dying _bury me alive, baby_ with the electricity shot through every cell in my body when he thrust into me. My muscles tightened and I could feel my walls clenching around his length as he pounded me viciously, and when he pressed his thumb down hard on my bundle of nerves, I came apart underneath him. My back arched off the bed and my head fell to the side as I raked my fingernails down his back, a sharp sound of passion leaving my lips as I came hard around him. Not a second later, I felt him shudder and tense on top of me, exploding deep inside my body as my own orgasm milked him for everything he had.

After one final thrust, he collapsed on top of me, his skin slick with perspiration and hot from exertion as he wrapped his arms around my frame, holding me to him without ever pulling out of my body. We lay in silence, trying to catch our breath and just holding each other as tightly as we could, trying to memorize the feel of being pressed so intimately together.

I was nearly asleep when he finally spoke.

"Bella, I don't know what to say…"

"Then don't say anything," I murmured against his chest, letting the steady thud of his heartbeat lull me to sleep.

"But you were…that was…"

"Incredible?"

"Well…yeah." I chuckled sleepily, whimpering slightly as he pulled out of me and stood up from the bed.

"Where are you going?" Turning back toward the bed, he placed a gentle kiss on my forehead before making his way toward the bathroom. I watched him walk, admiring the way his muscles moved underneath his smooth skin as he crossed the room.

"I'm just going to get cleaned up really quick. I'll be back out in a minute." He stepped into the bathroom, and I rolled over onto my back, staring up at the ceiling.

I just lost my virginity. To _Edward_. And it was perfect.

The sound of the shower running caught my attention, and I peeked over at the bathroom door, surprised to see that Edward hadn't bothered to shut it the whole way. My mind wandered into the bathroom then, imagining what he would look like under the spray, water running in rivulets down his perfect body. I couldn't suppress a groan, and I glanced over to the bedside table where the strip of condoms still sat, practically begging to be used.

Who was I to deny their desperate pleas?

I stood slowly from the bed and grabbed one of the small foil packages, tiptoeing to the bathroom before slipping in and shutting the door behind me.

***

Hours later, Edward and I lay sated and spent under the covers on our bed while I lightly traced the scratches I had left on his back earlier. Above the scratches, there were angry red patches of skin, rubbed raw from the carpet on the floor of the hotel room. I felt bad that he had sustained so many injuries during our passionate romps, but he claimed that he didn't mind in the least.

A light snore left his lips, and I smiled over at him, reaching to push his unruly hair off of his forehead while he slept soundly next to me. He was too perfect.

I heard a key card slide through the door, and it opened to Alice and Rosalie stepping through, throwing their coats onto the chair sitting at the table (which Edward and I had christened) and changing into nightclothes. One of them made their way into the bathroom, and a few minutes later emerged, seemingly holding back a laugh.

"Well?" Although the voice was barely a whisper, I recognized it immediately as Rosalie's.

"Judging by all the rubbers in the bathroom trashcan, I'm guessing that it happened."

"It's about fucking time," Rose muttered, and I could hear the eye roll behind her words. "They've been eye-fucking since we picked him up yesterday." Alice giggled quietly in the dark.

"Well, Rose. Our girl finally got some. I'm so proud." They both laughed at this, and Edward mumbled in his sleep, rolling onto his back.

A few minutes of silence passed before they spoke again.

"What do you think is going to happen when we leave? I mean, he has to stay here."

"I wish I could tell you, Al. But it'll all work itself out somehow."

"I hope you're right."

The room fell quiet after that, and it wasn't long before I heard labored breathing coming from their side of the room.

Sadness tugged at my heart and my eyes burned with tears as I realized that in a few days' time, I would be heading back home, not knowing when I would see Edward again. Online conversation and phone calls had sufficed up until this point, but what was I supposed to do now that I had seen his face and felt his body against mine? Could I go back to the way things were before, when the only communication that passed between us was hindered by some sort of electronic device?

To be perfectly honest, I wasn't sure if I could. But I would try.

With a deep sigh, I closed my eyes and curled up against Edward's side, resting my head on his chest and praying that I had all the strength I would need to watch him vanish in the rearview mirror.

* * *

**And there you have it. You know the drill, my dears.**

**Review, review, review!**

**Love you all.**


	2. So Bad I Can't Breathe

**Disclaimer: I regret to inform you that I don't own **_**Twilight**_**.**

**Author's Note: I know it's been a long time, but here it is: Chapter Two of **_**Playing for Keeps**_**! I'm so sorry about the dreadful wait, but at first I wasn't going to continue this story at all, and then I got wrapped up in the whirlwind that is college life, and then some really crappy things happened…but it's done, and I hope it's something that you'll all enjoy. **

**I had a really rough time writing this considering that my inspiration for this story just recently had major heart surgery, and his brain was damaged when his heart stopped (twice) during the operation. He's currently unable to remember anything, including his own name. This also means that he has no recollection of me, which really gets me down. The doctors don't know whether his memory loss is temporary or permanent, so cross your fingers for me and hope that he pulls through.**

**This is for Dane.

* * *

**

Someone was touching me. Their arms were wrapped around my waist, and I could feel hot air blowing against the side of my face with each breath they exhaled. The heat that radiated from the body next to me was making me sweat uncontrollably, and I fought to breathe against their grip tightening around my torso. I opened my eyes, prepared to unleash my fury on whoever was waking me so early in the morning with their suffocating presence, but then I saw him. I mean, _really _saw him. He had a slight dusting of stubble along his jaw, and his hair was beautifully disheveled, hanging over his forehead and partially obscuring one of his closed eyes from view. His sumptuous lips were parted slightly in sleep, and I couldn't stop myself from reaching up to lightly trace his full bottom lip. The moment I touched him, his tongue poked out from between his lips and touched my fingertip before retreating back into his mouth. He crinkled his nose adorably and his eyes opened a moment later, the startling green irises struggling to focus in the darkness of the hotel room. When he was finally able to focus on me, a sleepy version of his signature crooked smile broke out across his face, and his arms tightened around me.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," I greeted in a whisper as I reached up to push his hair off his forehead. He yawned widely and unwrapped one arm from around me to rub his eyes with the back of his hand.

"Morning." His voice was rough with sleep, and the sound of it made goose bumps ripple across my skin. "What time is it?" I glanced at the digital alarm clock on the bedside table before turning back toward Edward.

"It's still early, only nine." He raised an eyebrow before nuzzling his face into my neck, his stubble scratching against my skin.

"And why..." he trailed off, pausing long enough to press his lips under the corner of my jaw. "…did you feel it was necessary to wake me up at this ungodly hour?" I frowned slightly, a little hurt by his lack of enthusiasm over being woken up.

"You can go back to sleep if you want, but I'd appreciate it if you would give my body back before you do." I struggled against his grasp in an attempt to return to my side of the bed, but he was having none of it. He only held onto me tighter, the kisses he placed along my skin becoming more insistent.

"Mmm, no can do. Your body belongs to me now, woman. Besides, I don't mind being woken up early when I get to wake up next to you."

All traces of hurt feelings gone, I was unable to keep a smile from my face as I leaned forward to touch my lips to his, morning breath be damned. A low moan rumbled quietly in his chest as he took one of my lips between both of his, nibbling gently before letting the tip of his tongue graze my skin. Without thinking, I speared my fingers through his hair, reveling in the softness while I pushed my mouth harder onto his and let our tongues tangle and fight for dominance. After a moment I broke away to fulfill my body's need for oxygen, and he took the opportunity to roll on top of me. When he dipped down to capture my lips once again, I ducked out of his way, flashing a coy smirk up at him.

"Maybe we shouldn't get carried away while my friends are in the bed next to ours," I suggested, raising my eyebrows as he stared down at me with a ravenous look in his eyes.

"It's far too late to not get carried away now, babe." He pressed his hips against mine, and I groaned as I felt _exactly_ how carried away he was getting. "Keep quiet. We wouldn't want your friends to wake up, would we?"

He rolled off of me then, grabbing the waistband of my panties and sliding them swiftly down my legs before bunching them up in one of his hands.

"I'm going to take these with me when I go home. You know, like a souvenir from my trip to Chicago." His eyes flashed mischievously. "What a lovely memento, don't you think?"

"Don't you dare, Edward. That's my favorite pair!" I shrieked, lunging at him in an attempt to snatch my underwear out of his hand.

I heard someone stir in the next bed, the sound of rustling sheets and a loud yawn leading me to believe that my friends were waking up. Alice always slept like the dead, but Rosalie was notorious for waking up early in the morning and then forcing everyone else's butts out of bed with her huffing and puffing about "wasting daylight".

"Shhh," Edward chastised me, placing two fingers against my mouth. "You're gonna wake up the whole hotel if you keep yelling like that."

"Bella? You awake?" Rose's weary voice came from the neighboring bed, and I felt my face flush immediately at the lack of clothing on my lower half.

"Yeah, I am."

"Thought so. You weren't exactly being quiet."

"That's the understatement of the century." Alice's muffled voice came out from underneath one of the pillows, and I couldn't help but laugh at how pissed she sounded. "You're being loud as fuck."

"Sorry, guys," Edward apologized as I felt one of his hands drift over the skin of my abdomen, getting lower with each passing second. "I tried to tell her to keep it down, but she just refused to listen."

Another yawn sounded through the air, accompanied by a groan of frustration from Alice.

"It's not your fault, Edward. Bella always has a difficult time with keeping her fat mouth shut."

I opened my mouth to retort, but was stopped short when Edward's fingers reached the apex of my thighs and began rubbing tiny circles over my clit.

"Yeah, that sounds like her." He continued to draw circles on my sensitive flesh with his thumb while he slipped two fingers into my entrance and immediately began a steady rhythm. A violent shudder rippled through my body and Edward turned his head to look at me, a mask of mock concern on his face.

"Are you cold, love?" I bit my lip to hold back a moan and scowled at him, in utter disbelief that he was getting me off with my friends not ten feet away.

"A l-little," I lied. "I'll be f-f-fine."

He picked up the pace with his fingers, and I felt myself creeping closer and closer to the edge. Our makeout session just minutes before had left me so riled up that I was already inches away from coming on his fingers, an event that probably would not go unnoticed by Alice and Rose.

"What are we doing today?" Rosalie asked, sounding bored already. She wasn't really one for laying around when there was a whole city waiting outside of the hotel. Normally I wouldn't blame her, but I currently had a gorgeous boy's hand between my legs. All I really wanted to do right now was let him finish me off and then bask in my post-orgasmic glow.

"I was kind of wondering the same thing. What do you think, Bella?"

What. The. Fuck.

Edward was laying here beside me, fucking me with his fingers, and yet he felt that it was acceptable for him to carry on perfectly casual conversations with my friends. What an asshole! If I hadn't been so blissed out by the magic he was working with his talented hands, I would have been thoroughly pissed.

"Earth to Bella." Alice's high-pitched voice pulled me from my thoughts just as Edward curled his fingers forward, hitting a spot that made my inner walls tighten dangerously around him. "Any ideas for today?"

"Uh, yeah… I was thinking we could go see the Sears Tower." Edward applied more pressure to his thumb, which was still circling my clit, and I couldn't stop from crying out. "Ah! A-and then we could just walk around, see some other sights, that s-sort of t-thing."

I was grinding my hips down onto his hand, fighting against the moans that were bubbling up in my throat with each thrust of his fingers into me. The muscles clenching in my abdomen were getting harder and harder to ignore as Edward brought me closer to climax, and I was struggling to maintain my composure around my friends. I was _so fucking close_, and I buried my face against Edward's shoulder, panting softly against his warm skin as I prepared myself for what was sure to be an extremely intense orgasm.

And that's when he did the most infuriating thing of all.

He stopped.

His fingers stilled inside me before leaving my body completely, and he threw back his side of the covers before standing from the bed.

"Sightseeing sounds good to me," he quipped, leaning over to kiss the top of my head. "I'm gonna go hop in the shower real quick so that we can get this day started." With that, he turned and went into the bathroom, closing the door soundly behind him. I heard the shower start a minute later.

What the hell?

I was absolutely throbbing with the need to come, and I had half a mind to just reach under the covers and finish the job myself. Unfortunately, my friends were crawling out of their bed, staring at me with knowing smirks on their faces as they stalked toward me like lionesses on the prowl. And I might have a slender frame and long legs, but I'll be damned if I was going to play the helpless gazelle. I held my hands up in a motion for them to stop, but they kept slinking in my direction in a way that scared the fuck out of me.

"Wait just a fucking minute!" I yelled, stopping them in their tracks. "Do you really think the huntress routine is necessary?" They looked at each other before nodding, and I sighed in defeat. "Well, it's not. Sit your skinny asses down on the bed and I'll tell you whatever you want to know."

The predatory expressions left their faces, and they looked like two little kids who had just come down the stairs on Christmas morning to find that Santa had been to their house as they plopped onto my bed and stared expectantly. I felt like I was a fucking kindergarten teacher as I rolled my eyes and waited for the questions to start.

"Alright, first question…but for the love of God, keep your voices down. I don't need Edward hearing this." I glanced toward the quivering pixie and the smug-looking blonde, and I knew that this was going to be like removing a Band-Aid. It was painful, but you just had to get it over with. Fast. "Alice, would you like to begin the interrogation?" I swear that girl vibrated with excitement as she clapped her hands and grinned ear to ear.

"So I already know that you guys had sex—"

"Whoa, hold up there, doll face," I interrupted, raising my eyebrows as I stared her down. "How do you know that Edward and I had sex?" She scoffed and looked to Rose, who rolled her eyes dramatically.

"Bella, _please_ do not insult my intelligence. It was a little too obvious that you and your online lover did the nasty when I found all of your used condoms in the bathroom trashcan. Not to mention the wrapper lying on the floor beside your bed." I took a quick peek at the floor and, sure enough, there was a little foil wrapper sitting happily on the carpet, screaming to the world that Edward and I had indulged in a little bit (or a lot) of fornication last night.

I smiled guiltily at my friends, and Alice squealed like a little girl while Rosalie's lips curled upward in approval.

"So anyway," Alice continued, a newfound enthusiasm ringing in her voice. "Now that we've established the fact that some serious V-card stamping took place last night, we can move on to the real question at hand: how was it?"

"Fantastic."

She pouted.

"Come on, B," Rosalie prompted, her blue eyes shining. "You have to give us more than that. We want details!"

"Like what?" I had no idea what was appropriate to share and what should be kept to myself. Alice had a tendency to go into great detail about her sexcapades with her boyfriend, Jasper, while Rose kept all of the dirtier details to herself. I just always knew when she'd had another one-night stand because she would text me saying '_I had sex last night_. _Just thought I'd let you know._'

"Well, for starters, did you finish? Did he? Was there foreplay?"

Well those questions sounded easy enough to answer.

"Yes, yes, and yes."

"Isabella, what part of the word _details _do you not understand? You are going to sit here until you tell us what that boy did to make you hot, and then how he took care of the problem. Am I understood?" I nodded speechlessly, suddenly scared shitless by Rose's wrath.

Fuck.

The next five minutes or so were spent recounting the night to my best friends, beginning with Edward pulling a deck of cards out of his suitcase and suggesting that we play a little game of poker. When I got to the part about how he made me come during foreplay, Rosalie held up her hand.

"There are so many different types of foreplay, Bella. You need to specify what he did." I blushed as red as a tomato, but Al and Rose just waited patiently for me to answer.

"He uh…he put his mouth…um…"

"Oh, for fuck's sake, Bella! Quit being such a virgin and just spit it out already."

"He ate me out, okay?! He put his mouth on me and made me come. There. Are you two finally happy?"

"Yes, thank you."

I was forced to continue with my story, choking out bits and pieces about the actual penetration and how it felt to have him buried inside me. Alice and Rosalie seemed surprised that I had actually managed to orgasm during my first time, low whistles escaping their mouths.

"Damn, B. That boy _must_ be good. My first time, I felt nothing but pain."

"Tell me about it," Alice chimed in, examining her nails. "It hurt like hell."

"Yeah, it hurt," I explained, looking down at my hands folded in my lap. "But I made him stay, and after the pain subsided, it was incredible."

"Lucky bitch." Rosalie looked thoroughly jealous, and I couldn't help but laugh.  
"Rose, babe. I've been waiting for Edward for how long, now? It's been over a year. I'm sure the fantastic-ness of the sex had something to do with how badly I wanted him to begin with."

"Yeah, maybe..."

"So, Bella." Alice looked like she had just found out that Forever 21 was giving away free clothing rather than finding out that her best friend had her V-card stamped the night before. It frightened me a bit. "After the initial penetration, where else did you guys do it? Because I _know_ it was more than once."

Damn you, Alice. You and your psychic powers.

_Or maybe the three-plus condoms in the bathroom trashcan gave it away._

"Well the first time was on the bed, and then I followed him into the shower when he went to get cleaned up. Um…we came back out here and sat on the floor and talked for a bit. Talking turned to kissing, kissing turned to more, and before I knew it, he was on his back on the floor and I was on top of him."

"Damn girl."

"Yeah, and you also might not want to eat off of that table," I mumbled, pointing to the round table in the corner.

"Holy fuck, B!" Rosalie's face was a mask of shock, and Alice was giggling uncontrollably beside her, sounding more like a hyena than a human being. "First of all, that man must have crazy-good stamina. Second, I don't even know how you aren't sore today. Four times in one night? Jesus. Not to mention that it was the very night that you lost your virginity."

I shifted in bed, and for the first time noticed how sore the muscles in my butt and thighs were. My center felt raw and worn, and yet despite that, I was still desperate for release.

"I _am_ sore. Like you wouldn't believe. And to be perfectly honest with you, I have no fucking clue how we managed to go so many times. I guess it was just all the sexual tension from the past year coming to a head." Rose started to laugh, and I glared daggers at her. "Pardon the pun. Anyway, I think we just need to fuck it out of our systems."

"And have you?"

I smirked deviously.

"Not quite yet."

The room grew silent, and I realized that the shower had been turned off. The thought of Edward wet and naked and just behind that door made my core throb unbearably, and I bit my lip as I quickly formulated a plan in my head.

"Why don't you guys go raid the continental breakfast," I murmured quietly so that there was no chance of Edward overhearing. "Bring back everything that looks good."

"You're not coming with us?" Alice pouted, but Rose looked like she knew what I was up to.

"Not this time, Al. The girl has bigger fish to fry. Come to think of it, we might want to hit the Starbucks across the street while we're at it. Good luck, Bells." They stood from my bed and headed for the door, loudly complaining about how starved they were and how they hoped that the hotel's breakfast was at least half way decent. As soon as the door closed behind them, I climbed quickly out of bed and threw on Edward's v-neck t-shirt from the night before, forgoing underwear since Edward had thought it funny to kidnap my favorite pair. Moments later, the bathroom door opened and he emerged in nothing but a plush white towel that was slung low on his hips. His wet hair was a dark auburn, and my stomach did flips as I sat on the bed and watched him cross the room to his suitcase, seemingly unaware of my presence. I stayed silent until he bent over, his fantastic ass on display for me.

"Wow, what a view."

He jumped and let out this strange yelp before turning to face me, clutching his towel tightly against his hip. I couldn't help but laugh at the shocked look on his face, and he glared menacingly at me.

"Are you trying to give me a fucking heart attack? Jesus Christ."

"Sorry," I said rather unconvincingly, swinging my legs back and forth as his eyes roamed my body hungrily.

"I thought you went down to grab breakfast with Alice and Rosalie." I raised my eyebrows at him, eyeing him speculatively.

"Was someone eavesdropping? That's not very polite, you know." I stood from the bed and walked slowly over, swaying my hips slightly more than usual. "You know what else isn't very polite? Leaving a girl on the edge of orgasm while you go take a shower."

"Sorry about that, babe. I didn't want to finish you off in front of your friends and risk you making too much noise."

He smiled this shit-eating grin that made it clear how _not_ sorry he was, and I took the last few steps that would close the distance between us. When I made it to him, he reached out to put a hand on my hip, and my lips curled into a sickeningly sweet smile that made him swallow hard.

"Oh, you're not sorry," I said, running a finger down his chest. Upon reaching the edge of the towel, I hooked my finger under it and pulled it off of him, leaving him stark naked and glorious in front of me. "But you will be. Sit on the edge of the bed."

I'd never given a blowjob before, so I wasn't exactly sure if I would be good at it. I did however, have Alice as an instructor, and she (and Jasper) claimed that she was the master at giving head. And really, who better to learn from than the master? I was going into this with the basic knowledge of how to use my mouth to make him feel good, and I just prayed to God that I would figure the rest out as I went.

He staggered back to sit on our bed, his knees bent and his feet on the floor. I stalked over to him and watched in delight as his eyes bugged out of his head.

"Fuck, you look so fucking good in my shirt. Especially since I know you aren't wearing any panties under it." I narrowed my eyes at him as I pushed him to lie back on the bed, licking my lips at the sight of his dick, which was now standing at full attention.

"Trust me, you're going to pay for that stunt, too." I pressed a searing kiss to his mouth before sliding down his body, my lips leading the way as I worshipped every ripple of his perfect physique. My fingers traced the contours of his chest in an almost reverent manner, and I heard him hiss from underneath my careful hands. When I pulled away and adjusted our positions so that I was kneeling in between his legs, a strangled groan left his lips at the thought of what I was about to do. With a smug smirk on my lips, I reached out and grasped his length firmly in my hand, giving it a pump or two while Edward gave a shout and writhed on the bed.

"No no, my dear," I scolded, immediately removing my hand from the hot satin skin of his cock and loving the whimper that escaped his perfect pink lips. "You're going to have to be quiet if you want me to do this for you. It's only fair, after all."

His hips bucked involuntarily, and I pushed down on his left hip in an attempt to still his movements.

"Christ, Bella." His voice was low and ragged and full of pure need, and as much as I wanted to beg him to never stop talking, there was a point I needed to make with him.

If my life had stage directions, this is where it would say_ Enter Sexually Confident Bella._

"What did I say?" I asked in a domineering voice, pausing to take a long lick along the underside of his shaft. I heard his breath catch in his throat as I placed a moist kiss on the tip and I delighted in the way he squirmed, his eyes closed tightly and his lips parted. "No noises." With that, I wrapped my lips around the head of his cock, flicking the tip of my tongue over the slit before taking more of him into my mouth. His body was literally shaking under me, and I had to fight the urge to grin as I started bobbing my head up and down in his lap. There was no way that all of him could fit in my mouth, so I used my hand on the base, twisting upwards to follow the path of my lips. After a few minutes like this, I let him fall from my mouth with a small pop and let my tongue trail along the vein that spiraled along his length. His stomach muscles clenched under the hand splayed on his hip, and I raised my eyes to look at him.

He had propped himself up on his elbows and was watching me with fascination, his eyes burning with white hot lust and his bottom lip caught between his teeth to prevent any sounds from escaping that perfect mouth. Watching him watch me was crazily erotic, and a new wave of need rose and broke over my body as I lowered my mouth onto his dick once more, letting a long, low moan vibrate around his length as he threw his head back and reached down to fist his hand in my hair. I would be lying through my teeth if I said that sucking him off wasn't making me ridiculously wet and in desperate need of release, so I slipped one hand between my legs and began rapidly circling my clit to stave off some of the aching need that was building in my nether regions.

"Oh, _fuck_. Bella…Bella stop! I can't—please, no more." He was practically sobbing, and I released him immediately, lifting my head and eying him warily.

"What's wrong? Are you okay? I—did I do something wrong?"

He sat up and grabbed my shoulders, gently leading me off of the floor and onto the bed so that I was seated beside him, curled into his side.

"No baby, you were perfect," he answered, stroking my hair softly as he pressed his mouth to the side of my throat. "I just want to be inside of you when I come." His statement made my desire flare hotter, and despite everything, I felt a blush stain my cheeks pink.

"Oh. _Oh_." My spoken words turned into a throaty moan as he pulled me so that I was on top of him, my thighs straddling his hips and his extremely hard dick aligned perfectly with my center. Somehow he'd managed to pull my shirt off, leaving us both bare and breathing heavily as our eyes roamed each other's bodies.

"I'll never get over how beautiful you are," he whispered with intensity, his eyes glinting in the dim light of the room. And as much as I loved the compliments that poured like honey from his lips, I remembered that I was still in the process of punishing him for his earlier behavior. The man had to be taught a lesson.

"I thought I told you to _be quiet_," I growled as one of my hands snaked into his hair and pulled, causing his eyes to roll back in his head a little. I had no idea where this vixen behavior was coming from, but Edward certainly seemed to be enjoying it. His head was thrown back and his chest was heaving with every breath that hissed through his clenched teeth; I don't know if I've ever seen anything more beautiful in my life. I lowered myself onto him so that just his tip was encased in my warmth and his hand flew to my hip, preventing me from going any lower.

"Condom," he grunted, his eyes hooded and his mouth in a hard line. Although it wouldn't have been entirely necessary since I was on birth control, I was astounded that he had remembered and been considerate enough to remind me.

I placed my hands on his shoulders and pushed myself off of him before dashing over to his bag and grabbing a tiny foil packet from the box I knew he had stashed there. He scooted back so that he was laying in the center of the bed, and within seconds I had rolled the condom onto his hardened length and straddled him once more, leaning in to kiss him deeply as I sank onto him in a fluid movement. A mutual groan left our connected mouths as I sheathed him fully inside me, letting him fill me in a way I never imagined possible.

I braced my hands on his chest, and we began to move.

I rocked against him a few times before lifting my hips and slamming them back down, a move that earned a loud curse from Edward. When he looked at me in apology for his outburst, I smiled and reached down to push his damp hair back from his forehead.

"It's okay; you can talk now."

"Thank fucking God," he muttered, breathing an audible sigh of relief. "If I had to go one more minute without telling you how Goddamn gorgeous you look on top of me, I would have exploded." A throaty chuckle left my lips and he groaned as I ground my hips hard against him, a move that sent shivers up my spine and an electric shock straight to where he was buried so deeply inside me.

"No exploding yet, babe. Give me a few minutes to catch up to you."

I hadn't even finished my sentence when Edward tightened his grip on my waist and flipped us so that my back was on the bed and he was hovering above me. Before I could protest our change in position, he pulled out of me and his head was between my thighs, licking and sucking and nipping and _oh, fuck_. I grabbed fistfuls of his hair in my hands as my hips undulated against his face, wordlessly begging him to go a little faster, to add a little more pressure. A moment later he lifted his head and met my eyes as he took one more long, languid lick up my slit, chuckling softly as I whimpered and squirmed on the bed.

"Are you all caught up now?" he asked, his voice nearly as scratchy as the stubble that was rubbing against the inside of my thigh.

"Uh-huh." I nodded and watched in awe as he crawled back up my body with a predatory gleam in his darkened eyes. My body was already quivering in anticipation, and seeing him want me so badly threw me into sensory overload.

"Fuck." The word escaped my lips as both an explicative and a plea, and as I watched the crooked smile form on Edward's face I knew that he understood exactly what I had meant.

"I plan on it, woman."

He grabbed the base of his dick and aligned himself with my center before swiftly pushing in, stretching my inner muscles in the most delicious way as I moaned my approval. I had been expecting it to hurt considering how sore I was from last night, but the feel of his hips between my spread thighs and his length deep within my body was too perfect to describe. I could feel my body practically humming with pleasure as he began to move inside me and my hands drifted of their own accord to nest in the softness of Edward's hair, tugging harshly at the unruly bronze locks as he quickened the movements of his hips.

"Ah, Bella."

Hearing him say my name in such a raw and primal way made my body tingle all over, and I got so caught up in the sensations that I barely noticed when he rolled us so that I was on top of him, splayed over his chest. His hands went immediately to my hips, pulling me off of his cock before forcing me back down, _hard_. My head dropped back and a long, low moan left my lips as he repeated the action again and again and again, my pelvis slamming against his in a way that made my insides quake. I was riding him, but he was _driving_ me; driving me crazy, driving me mad, driving my hips onto him with a force that would shake the very foundations of this city.

_Look out, Chicago._

I leaned forward a bit, and the very next downward stroke caused my clit to grind harshly against his pubic bone

"Mother _fuck_!" I screamed, my walls clenching around him in warning as he picked up the pace so that I was sliding up and down his length at the speed of light, my bones shaking and my heart pounding and my center rejoicing at the most perfect friction it had ever known.

"Tell me how good it is," Edward gasped from under me, his eyes dark and dangerous. I followed his gaze to the site of our coupling and watched as he slid effortlessly into me time and time again, the sight making the sensations that much more powerful.

"Ungh, it's good. It's so good! I love the way you feel inside—" I stopped short as his hands left my hips and fell to the bed beside him. He had been moving me, so my movements ceased and I could practically feel my climax slipping away. "What? No! No, don't stop, _please_—"

"Move on me." His voice was just barely a whisper, but the intensity at which he was watching me made it seem like a shouted command.

_Sir, yes sir!_

Without thought, I placed my hands on his chest and began the rhythm he had ceased only seconds ago, lifting my hips before driving them back down onto him in an almost savage manner. That warm, tingling pressure was building in my core, and I bit my lip as my hips rolled like ocean waves, crashing down onto Edward and all his perfection.

"Jesus Christ, Bella…oh, fuck…you're going to make me come."

_Oh, me too, me too,_ I thought as I rode him harder, determined to get us both there at once. I was close…_so close_…and my movements became erratic and frantic as I slammed down onto him harder than before, my eyes rolling back in my head from the sheer pleasure of my powerful strokes. In the back of my mind I wondered if it was possible to break someone's dick, but the feral noises ripping from Edward's throat assured me that he wasn't hurting in the least. His head started thrashing from side to side, and his hands flew up to grab my breasts, tweaking my nipples into hard, sensitive peaks.

"Jesus, fuck….nnngh…say my name. Edward, say it!"

I felt his muscles stiffen as he pulsed inside me, bellowing my name at the top of his lungs as he came.

"BELLA! Oh, fucking hell, Bella! You're so…so fucking good…Christ…"

Hearing my name mixed into his string of profanities and watching his face contort in pleasure as he reached the promise land threw me over the edge, and I clenched hard around his throbbing dick as sparks shot through every nerve ending in my body. It went on and on and on and on, my inner muscles contracting and releasing against his now softening length. When the last waves had subsided, I collapsed forward onto his chest, panting heavily against his sweat-slicked skin as his arms wound around me. We were silent for a long time, just listening to the sounds of the world outside our hotel room and each other's uneven breathing. It could have been minutes, hours, or even days, but we knew nothing other than the warmth of each other's bodies and the comfort of our post-coital bliss.

"Well," he muttered after a while as he gently rolled me off of him. "I think I've learned my lesson." I curled myself into his side and sighed as he wrapped his arms tightly around my body, holding me to him.

"Oh yeah? And what lesson would that be?"

"That it's not nice of me to pleasure you in front of your friends. And that I can't just take your underwear back home as a souvenir."

"Very good," I praised, stroking his hair lovingly. "I think my punishment did you some good."

"It definitely did. Which is exactly why I'm not _just_ going to take your underwear home," he elaborated, the tone of his voice indicating that he was in fact very pleased with himself. "I'm going to have them framed, and they're going to hang in my dorm room when I go back to school."

"You're such an ass." I laughed at his antics, but my smile faded as my thoughts took a different direction. "Besides, I don't think Tanya would approve of another girl's panties hanging on your wall." I regretted the words as soon as I spoke them, because the look on Edward's face went from one of contentment to one of confusion and pain and I hated myself for having put the emotions there. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything. I know it's not my place." Not to mention that we were both naked in bed after an incredible round of sex.

_Wow, Bella. What a perfect time to bring up his girlfriend_.

"No, it's okay," he said, reaching over to tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "You have a right to bring it up. It just kills me to know that it hurts you so much."

"But how could it not?" I asked softly. "How could it not hurt me to know that while I was willing to swear off all other guys for you, you were starting a relationship with another girl? I mean, I know that we're far away from each other, and that it would be really, really hard to make it work, and that it's _completely_ irrational, but I didn't care about any of that. All of the right feelings were there. For me, at least."

The tightness in my throat as I spoke and the tears threatening to spill from my eyes made me realize that I wasn't strong enough to have this conversation right now without losing it. The thoughts had been plaguing me for months, and now here I was beside Edward, baring my fucking soul, he just stared at me with this odd look in his eyes that I couldn't decipher.

I couldn't do this.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, making a move to get out of bed. "I—I can't…"

Warm fingers wrapped tightly around my wrist in an attempt to keep me where I was, and I turned to look at the impossibly perfect god of a man on the bed next to me.

"Edward, don't. Just forget about—"

"No."

"No?" I was confused. He'd told me once that he wasn't good at voicing the way he felt, and now he _wanted _to talk about this?

"No."

I settled back onto the bed, suddenly painfully aware of our nakedness. He must have realized at the same time, because he reached down to grab the sheet, pulling the thin white fabric up over our bare bodies. When we were both comfortable, he reached for my hand, entwining our fingers tightly together.

"Bella, I need you to listen to me. I _do_ feel the same way about you. Jesus, how could I not? You're fucking incredible. If I thought I knew that before this trip, it's nothing compared to what I know now. Every second I'm with you, I feel like I'm going to go mad because I can't decide whether I want to throw you on a bed and have my way with you or pull you into my arms and hold you for hours just so I can feel close to you. I thought that maybe after we had sex, I'd get a little bit of this out of my system, but when I opened my eyes this morning and saw you smiling at me…fuck. It was like everything I knew flew out the window. You've absolutely ruined me, Bella, so please do not let me hear you say that you're the only one with the feelings here. I've got them too. Badly."

"I just don't understand how it was so easy for you to put your feelings for me aside and date Tanya. I couldn't even look at other guys romantically without thinking of you."

"I never said it was easy," he murmured, so quietly that I almost didn't hear him. "Forgetting you long enough to start a relationship with her was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. And even now, I still don't know if I made the right decision. Even now, I can't help but think of you every time I'm with her."

I couldn't stop the tears then.

They came, spilling out of my eyes and running hotly down my cheeks. There was no use trying to hold in the sobs, either. They tore harshly from my chest, causing my body to shake violently beside him, and he reached out to me, his warm arms wrapping gently around my trembling frame.

"Please. Please don't cry, love."

How pathetic. I'd been trying so long to get him to really open up to me, and when he finally tells me the magnitude of his feelings for me, I break down and cry like a little baby. He probably thought I was a nutcase, but I really couldn't make myself care too much. He felt about me the way I felt about him, and

When my cries had quieted and I'd regained a fair amount of control over myself, I lifted my head to throw a tentative smile at Edward.

He wasn't smiling back.

"I—I'm sorry," I stuttered, willing to do anything in my power to put a look of happiness back onto his perfect face. "I just couldn't—"

"Isabella Swan, don't you dare apologize to me."

Wait…what? Why was he angry? Had I done something to upset him?

"I don't understand." Gently, carefully, he reached over to take both of my hands in his and brought them up to his mouth, pressing his lips to my knuckles.

"Bella." He said my name slowly, his voice shaking slightly. Our joined hands were still against his mouth, and I could feel his lips brushing against my fingers with every word he spoke. It was very distracting, because all I could think about was the way his lips felt against other parts of my anatomy. "Bella, I don't want you to apologize for this. Not ever, okay? I'm the one that should be apologizing to you." I opened my mouth to protest, but he gave me this look that told me that now was not the time for arguing my case. I promptly shut my mouth. "After seeing you cry like that…how much pain I've caused you by not being honest about the way I felt…I'll be lucky if you can forgive me. God knows I'll never forgive myself."

I hated this. I hated that he was so angry with himself for something that I wasn't even upset about! Those tears had merely been an outlet for everything I was feeling at the moment, and I had in no way meant to cause him any sort of anguish with my episode.

"There's nothing to forgive," I whispered, tucking myself more snugly into his side. "You told me once you weren't good at expressing emotions, and by not revealing the full magnitude of your feelings…you were just being _you,_ Edward. And I wouldn't want you to be anything other than that."

"I don't know how you can be so understanding about it," he grumbled, releasing my hands and wrapping his arms once more around my frame. "Knowing that I hurt you makes me want to punch myself."

I huffed a sigh. This brooding of his was getting old really fast.

"Yeah, well you know what I want?"

"What?"

"I want you to stop moping and kiss me again."

That seemed to do it. His face softened and I thought I caught a glimpse of that damned crooked smile before his hand was tangled in my hair and he pulled my mouth to his, crushing his lips against mine in a searing kiss. I opened my mouth beneath his, and he groaned as his tongue made its way into my mouth, his flavor warm and tangy and _Edward_. Before I knew it, he was on top of me and I could feel his arousal growing against my thigh. I pulled back to gasp for air, and Edward's lopsided grin did nothing to help my breathing situation.

"I don't suppose we have time for another round, do we?" I almost had to laugh at his insatiable appetite for me, but the look in his eye silenced any giggles before they had the chance to escape my throat. Right now there was nothing I wanted more than another round, but Alice and Rosalie would be returning at any minute, and I knew they wouldn't take kindly to walking into the room to find Edward balls deep inside me.

"No. They'll be back soon." He nodded morosely, and this time I couldn't help but laugh. "Jesus, Edward. I'm sure we'll get some more alone time soon."

"I guess you're right. Right now we should probably focus on getting cleaned up."

Before I even knew what was happening, he had climbed out of bed and reached down for me, slinging me over his shoulder like I weighed no more than a sack of flour. I struggled in his grasp, and he responded by playfully smacking my ass.

"Hey!" I protested loudly as he carried me toward the bathroom. "I can get to the bathroom myself, you know."

"Yes, I'm aware," he said, although he didn't set me on my feet until we were safely in the bathroom with the door shut and locked. "However, I thought that maybe we could shower together. You know, to conserve water and everything."

"But you just took a shower a little bit ago."

"This is true," he said as he reached to turn on the water in the tub. "But if I recall correctly, a certain sex goddess decided that she was going to get me all hot and sweaty just minutes after I emerged from the bathroom. So I think another shower is in order."

He pulled me into the shower then, and the hot water cascaded down over our heads, soaking our hair and trickling in tiny rivers down our chests. It took everything I had to ignore the way Edward's flawless body looked under the spray and concentrate on getting clean. I reached for the shampoo, but his nimble fingers wrapped around mine, plucking the bottle from my grasp and pouring a small amount in the palm of his hand. He washed my hair slowly, his hands gently working through the tangles of my thick tresses as I hummed my approval. After all the shampoo had been rinsed from my hair and I had slathered it in conditioner, I helped him clean up. I caressed the hard planes of his back, took the time to trace every line and dip on his torso, and ran my sudsy fingers through his messy hair. We stopped every so often to share chaste kisses, knowing that Alice and Rosalie's pending arrival didn't give us much leeway for more passionate displays.

When the water had been turned off and we were both wrapped in fluffy white towels, we made our way out of the bathroom and into the main area of our hotel room.

"Well, well, well," Alice chirped, folding her arms across her chest. "What have we here?" I rolled my eyes and padded over to my suitcase to pull out an outfit for the day. As I bent over, I could practically feel Edward's eyes on my ass, so I made sure to wiggle it a little for his benefit.

"But out, Alice. Edward and I were just doing our part to help the environment." I knew there was no chance she or Rose would buy that, but I figured it couldn't hurt, right?

"Oh yeah," Edward quipped sarcastically. "Go green."

We all laughed at that, and finally having found the shirt and shorts I wanted to wear that day, I turned to retreat into the bathroom once more.

"Oh Bella?" Rosalie called to me from across the room, stopping me in my tracks. I'd heard this tone of voice before, and it could not mean good things. It was that _I love you, Bella, but I'm about to embarrass the shit out of you_ tone.

"Yes Rose?"

"Turn around."

I did as I was told, slowly turning to face my beautiful, blonde best friend who was currently eyeing me with one eyebrow raised and a knowing smirk on her lips.

"What's on your neck, Bella?"

My hand flew up to trace the dark red mark that I knew adorned my skin, and my cheeks burned as I blushed shamelessly. A quick glance at Edward told me that he was amused by Rosalie's discovery of my hickey, and I threw him a scowl and Rose the middle finger before stomping into the bathroom and slamming the door behind me.

From inside my safe haven, I heard Alice squeal with excitement.

"Well, let's get this show on the road! I'm ready to take the Windy City by storm!"

I chuckled to myself, feeling somewhat bad for the wrath and chaos we were going to unleash on this city.

_Hold onto your hat, Chicago.

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**A/N: Well? How'd I do? I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter, so shoot me a review or a PM to let me know what you think!**

**Love you all.**


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